THE leaders of South Korea, China and Japan will hold their first trilateral summit in more than four years in Seoul on May 26-27, Seoul’s presidential office said.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will have bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday, ahead of their three-way gathering on Monday, deputy national security advisor Kim Tae-hyo said.
The three will adopt a joint statement on six areas including on the economy and trade following the summit, he told a briefing.
The neighbours had agreed to hold a summit every year starting in 2008 to boost regional cooperation, but the initiative has been disrupted by bilateral feuds and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Their last trilateral summit was in late 2019.
The summit comes as South Korea and Japan have been working to improve ties strained by historical disputes while deepening a trilateral security partnership with the United States amid intensifying Sino-US rivalry.
Beijing has previously warned that Washington’s efforts to further elevate relations with Seoul and Tokyo could stoke tension and confrontation in the region. — Reuters
